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elizabeth_mnThe Challenge: 12. If They’d Had It… November 2 - November 15
Have you ever looked through a cookbook from another era and been surprised at the modern dishes you find? Have you ever been surprised at just how much they differ from their modern counterparts? Recreate a dish which is still around today, even if it may look a little - or a lot - different!
Before I started dabbling in historic cooking, I would definitely have considered mac and cheese to be a very modern dish, something that originated in the kitchens of mid-century Betty Crocker types. But I found this recipe and this one here and realized how popular it was from the 18th century on.
The Recipe: I eventually chose Mrs. Beeton's recipe; without eggs or sherry, it made more sense to me.
The Date/Year and Region: 1860s, England
How Did You Make It: I chose the second method of preparing the pasta, boiling in salted water only, because I could not bear to waste a whole pint of milk just to boil noodles in.
I couldn't find any Cheshire cheese, so I asked the Whole Foods cheese guys for an equivalent English cheese. They gave me Quickes English cheddar, a strong but buttery cheese still made with the traditional cloth rind. I have to be careful with cheeses since certain ones give me an allergic reaction, so I was happy to find I could tolerate this one. I grated it with the tiny side of the grater.
(I snapped this photo mid-process. I promise I distributed the cheese more evenly than this!)
Browned it in the broiler. Not quite evenly!
Time to Complete: About 30 min.
Total Cost: The cheese was the greatest expense, of course. Probably about $8-10 altogether.
How Successful Was It?: This was great! The cheese was nice and strong, and there was no shortage of butter. I am used to a thick creamy sauce for modern mac and cheese, but this was a delicious variation. Plus I would eat pretty much anything with a buttered breadcrumb topping.
How Accurate Is It?: I couldn't find Cheshire cheese and bought the most comparable English cheese instead; I browned it in the broiler instead of with fire or salamander. I also did not boil the noodles for and hour and a half. WTF was Mrs. Beeton thinking?
Have you ever looked through a cookbook from another era and been surprised at the modern dishes you find? Have you ever been surprised at just how much they differ from their modern counterparts? Recreate a dish which is still around today, even if it may look a little - or a lot - different!
Before I started dabbling in historic cooking, I would definitely have considered mac and cheese to be a very modern dish, something that originated in the kitchens of mid-century Betty Crocker types. But I found this recipe and this one here and realized how popular it was from the 18th century on.
The Recipe: I eventually chose Mrs. Beeton's recipe; without eggs or sherry, it made more sense to me.
The Date/Year and Region: 1860s, England
How Did You Make It: I chose the second method of preparing the pasta, boiling in salted water only, because I could not bear to waste a whole pint of milk just to boil noodles in.
I couldn't find any Cheshire cheese, so I asked the Whole Foods cheese guys for an equivalent English cheese. They gave me Quickes English cheddar, a strong but buttery cheese still made with the traditional cloth rind. I have to be careful with cheeses since certain ones give me an allergic reaction, so I was happy to find I could tolerate this one. I grated it with the tiny side of the grater.
(I snapped this photo mid-process. I promise I distributed the cheese more evenly than this!)
Browned it in the broiler. Not quite evenly!
Time to Complete: About 30 min.
Total Cost: The cheese was the greatest expense, of course. Probably about $8-10 altogether.
How Successful Was It?: This was great! The cheese was nice and strong, and there was no shortage of butter. I am used to a thick creamy sauce for modern mac and cheese, but this was a delicious variation. Plus I would eat pretty much anything with a buttered breadcrumb topping.
How Accurate Is It?: I couldn't find Cheshire cheese and bought the most comparable English cheese instead; I browned it in the broiler instead of with fire or salamander. I also did not boil the noodles for and hour and a half. WTF was Mrs. Beeton thinking?
